Alternative medicine

Nontraditional therapies have been employed to treat whiplash pain, but research about the effectiveness of these treatments is limited. These alternatives include the following:

Acupuncture. Acupuncture is a treatment in which ultrafine needles are inserted through specific locations on your skin. This treatment may offer some relief from neck pain.

Chiropractic care. Chiropractic care involves the manipulation of joints. There is some evidence that this care may provide pain relief. Some research suggests that results are best when chiropractic care is paired with exercise or physical therapy. Manipulation of the spine may cause minor problems, such as numbness or dizziness, and rarely damage to spinal tissues.

Massage. Massage — kneading of muscles in the neck — may provide some relief of neck pain from whiplash injury.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). TENS is a device that applies a mild electric current to the skin. Limited research suggests this treatment may lessen neck pain.

Legal Conditions and Terms

Reprint Permissions

A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.